Tag: Speyside Whisky Page 10 of 14

Speyside is a “protected region” for Scotch Whisky distilling under UK Government legislation.According to Visit Scotland, this region includes the area between the Highlands to the west, Aberdeenshire in the east and extending north to the Cairngorms National Park. Speyside single malt whisky is single malt Scotch whiskies, distilled in Strathspey, the area around the River Spey in Moray and Badenoch and Strathspey, in northeastern Scotland.

Today I am looking at something peaty from Speyside: The BenRiach Curiositas 10 year old single malt Scotch whisky. Whiskies from Speyside are among Scotland’s lightest, sweetest single malts.

Situated around the river Spey, Speyside is one of the most densely populated whisky areas in the world. Over 30 distilleries are located in the region.

The lack of peat or coastal air has allowed the Speyside region to create a broad style of whiskies that are lighter, honeyed and refined. Some have heavy sherries influences, but there is an undercurrent of rich malts with toffee and honeyed flavours, paired with nuts and fruity notes.

Apple, pear, honey, vanilla and spice all have a part to play in Speyside drams. Now and again, an expression comes along that veers off the designated path, like this BenRiach Curiositas 10 yo peated single malt whisky.

Also Read: Glenlivet 15 yo whisky

BenRiach distillery is a single malt distillery near Elgin in Speyside and as of June 2016 owned by Brown-Forman. BenRiach Distillery was established by John Duff in 1898.

There were various changes in ownership until in 2004 when the distillery along with several thousand casks was acquired by an independent consortium, the BenRiach Distillery Company Limited.

Other distilleries within this grouping include the Glendronach and Glenglassaugh Distilleries.

The new owners wasted no time, and they resumed production and soon released a 12 year old, 16 year old and 20 year old expression.

They also redesigned the logo and the packaging of the bottles. Since these releases, there has been a steady stream of standard and exotic finishes released. Some of the casks that the BenRiach Company got as part of the 2004 sale included batches of more peated malt whisky. The BenRiach Curiositas contains some of this peated whisky.

BenRiach Curiositas 10 year old Whisky Review

Curiositas is a 10 year old, heavily peated release, peated to an estimated 55 ppm based on some research. More peated than the heavily peated Port Charlotte release from Bruichladdich that I tasted a few weeks ago.

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Light straw nearly a light golden yellow with hints of green.

NOSE: Earthy peat, heady smoke, plump fruit, honey sweetness, caramelized toffee mixed with vanilla. Faint hints of oak and malt.

PALATE: Peat, ash, honey sweetness mixed with vanilla, peppery spice and oak. The Curiositas is big and bold. Rich and satisfying, the peat does not have the same medicinal, seaside notes that some of the Islay drams have.

It is earthy and rich, nicely balanced with honey and fruity sweetness. Water brings more of the well known Speyside character and softens the peat. More fruity sweetness appears.

FINISH: Long with notes of pepper, nutmeg, oak and sweetness.

RATING: EXCELLENT

What an unexpectedly intriguing dram! All that earthy peat balanced very nicely with the fruity sweetness. I preferred it without water, to preserve the more peaty side of the dram. The Benriach Curiositas is not the most complex whisky but delicious and warming.

Heavy peat from Speyside? I was wondering if I should compare to similar-aged Islay drams? The Ardbeg 10 year old perhaps full of maritime flavours? Then I realized, no, I should judge it all on its own merits, just for what it is – a peaty Speyside whisky.

The fundamental question should always remain: Do I want another glass? Yes, please!

Also Read: Balvenie Doublewood 17 yo whisky

The Balvenie Peated Cask 17 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/01/2016

In Single Malt whisky

Today I am raising a glass to the Balvenie Malt Master, Davd Stewart, with the Balvenie Peated Cask 17 year old single malt Scotch whisky. In honour of the Queen presenting him with a MBE medal.

This was in honour of his services to the Scotch whisky industry. He is the longest-serving Malt Master in the world. An amazing 54 years in the industry. What an amazing achievement!

David was born in 1945 in Ayr in Scotland and started his career at the Balvenie Distillery in 1962 on a 12-year apprenticeship, aged 17. He was appointed as Malt Master in 1974. David was one of the first people to experiment with cask finishes during the 1980s.

This experimentation led to a few of my favourite Balvenie expressions. Releases such as the Balvenie Doublewood, Balvenie Caribbean Cask, The Balvenie Roasted Malt and the Balvenie Portwood. The Balvenie distillery is part of the William Grant stable of brands.

Malt Master David Stewart

This week, in honour of this great man of whisky, we try the Balvenie Peated Cask 17 year old whisky – another of his “experiments”. Released during 2010, the whisky was aged traditionally, to begin with, but finished in a cask that previously held peated whisky.

Back in 2001, The Balvenie did a heavily peated malt run that was then aged in ex-bourbon barrels. At some point, the spirit transferred out of the American Oak barrels and into new casks to continue its maturation.

It is into these now empty-cask that David poured some 17 year old Balvenie to see what would happen. To further enhance the whisky, David then blended it with some similarly aged Balvenie finished in new charred oak.

The result – the Balvenie Peated Cask release. Unfortunately, this was a limited release and is not available anymore.

Balvenie Single Malt Whisky is produced by William Grant & Sons Ltd. Founded by William Grant in 1886 and today still an independent family-owned distiller run by his direct descendants.

Also Read: Macallan 15 year old whisky

The Balvenie Peated Cask 17 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Liquid golden sunshine.

NOSE: Rich and creamy with very subtle hints of peat. There are notes of candied sweets and fresh fruit with hints of vanilla, cinnamon sugar and butterscotch sweetness.

PALATE: A riot of contrasting flavours. Initially, there are heaps of peat mixed with some smoke and ashy notes followed by spicy sweetness. The next layer has juicy fruitiness with bits of honey and cinnamon spice.

The Balvenie Peated Cask single malt has an interesting flavour development profile. The addition of water brings smoothness to the whisky and makes it easier to drink. It softens some of the ashy smoky and brings forward the sweetness.

FINISH: Long and lingering and warms you up from the inside. It ends in notes of smoky fruity sweetness.

RATING: EXCELLENT

This expression is certainly not the usual Balvenie style. It’s unusual and different. However, it does a fantastic job of standing out as something unique.

This peated expression will probably not appeal to traditional Balvenie lovers. It also has too little peat intensity for Islay lovers. However, this is a unique and interesting whisky, made by a man who is not scared to try something new. A whisky as unique and interesting as the man who created it – David Stewart.

Also Read: Kininvie 17 yo Whisky

The Singleton 12 year old Single Malt Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 10/19/2015

In Single Malt whisky

I tried the Singleton Tailfire a while ago after a friend mentioned how much she loved it. It did not blow me away. However, I got quite a bit of feedback, with most people recommending the Singleton 12 year old single malt Scotch whisky.

While the Tailfire is still fresh in my mind, I decided to try the 12yo. Singleton is produced by the Dufftown distillery, which is located in the small Speyside town of Dufftown. The Dufftown distillery was not originally built as a malt whisky distillery.

Related Article: Loch Lomond Original Whisky

Wine merchant Peter Mackenzie and friends converted it from an old Mill to a Distillery in 1895 /6. The Dufftown distillery first drew water from John’s Well in 1896 and still do. Today, the brand is owned by Diageo.

The majority of the malt whisky produced at the Dufftown distillery is used for blended whiskies – particularly Bell’s and Johnnie Walker whisky.

The Singleton 12 year old single malt Scotch is matured in a combination of American and European oak casks. A traditional hip flask inspires the unique bottle shape of The Singleton of Dufftown, while the glass’s colour reflects the blue flint glass used at the turn of the previous century.

Singleton 12 year old Single Malt Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: A deep polished copper.

NOSE: Sweet with caramel, toffee and vanilla coming through. There are notes of rich fruit and sweet spice. After adding water, some of the sweetness disappears.

PALATE: Tasting the Singleton 12 year old whisky brings notes of spice, creamy oak and toasted malt. It is a rich and buttery whisky with a rich mouthfeel. There are lots of sweet vanilla, and hints of fruit dipped in dark chocolate. It is a well-balanced whisky, with the spicy and sweet in perfect harmony.

FINISH: Medium length and ends in notes of sweet cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. There is an underlying layer of butter toffee sweetness, which is delicious.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The Singleton 12 year old Scotch whisky is surprisingly good! I was not expecting fireworks after tasting the Singleton Tailfire, but I was pleasantly surprised. I can now understand why my friend loves this dram. And at a price below R400 in South Africa, this is good value for money.

I have also tasted the Singleton 15 year old, and you can read all my thoughts on this slightly older Dufftown release. I have also done a side by side comparison of this Singleton release against the Glenfiddich 12 year old whisky.

Also Read: Ballechin 10 yo Whisky

Glenlivet 12 year old Single Malt Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/07/2015

In Single Malt whisky

I grew up with a dad who enjoyed whisky. His favourite drams were Dimple and Chivas Regal. This shaped the way I enjoyed whisky and early on, I gravitated to blended whisky too. One day, a friend poured me a Glenlivet 12 year old single malt Scotch whisky and it blew me away.

The smooth complex flavours just knocked my socks off. I still hold the Glenlivet 12 year old close to my heart.

The Glenlivet distillery is a Speyside distillery in Moray, Scotland. The distillery draws water from Josie’s Well and other springs a short distance from the distillery. George Smith was the first distiller to legally distil whisky in the Speyside region.

He took the brave step of applying for a license following the Excise Act of 1823, much to the unhappiness of his neighbours. He established The Glenlivet on a farm distillery called Upper Drummin in 1824. Glenlivet became so synonymous with quality that more and more distillers started using the name.

To help keep the brand, George Smith’s son, John Gordon Smith, applied for sole rights to the name. In 1884, this was granted. The distillery is owned by Chivas Brothers, themselves a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard. The Glenlivet is the world’s second best-selling single malt and it is one of the top sellers in the US.

The Glenlivet 12 year old Scotch is matured in a mixture of American and European Oak. Much to my horror, I noted that The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve will replace The Glenlivet 12 year old in mature malt markets, including the UK from 2015.

Related Article: Glenfiddich 12 yo Whisky

Glenlivet 12 year old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Light golden wheat

NOSE: Sweet with tropical fruits, vanilla and cereals. There are hints of spice and grassy notes floating in the background. The nose is light and fresh.

PALATE: Without water, there are lots of fruits, cinnamon and nutmeg that mix with the oak and barley notes. It is not as sweet as you would expect after the promises of the sweet nose.

Adding a few drops of water smooths the spices and more apple, honey and summer fruit appear. Water allows the Glenlivet 12 year old to show its’ full complexity. Regardless, it is rich and creamy and delicious.

FINISH: Medium length and end in lots of fresh fruit, nuts and hints of lemon.

RATING: EXCELLENT

Certainly, a perfectly fruity dram to usher in Spring with. We have also tried both the Glenlivet 18 year oldand the Glenlivet 15 year old bottled by Signatory for Whisky Brother shop and rated both these expressions as Excellent.

As part of my comparative series, I have done a comparison between the Glenfiddich 12 year old and the Glenlivet 12 year old single malt whisky to see who they compare when you have them side by side. In South Africa, the Glenlivet 12 year old single malt retails for around R 500 and in India for about ₹ 5,656.

I am sure the Founders Reserve is not a bad whisky, but it is not my beloved 12 year old. I will have to stockpile an extra bottle just to make sure I don’t run out too soon.

Food pairings

The Glenlivet 12 year old will pair wonderfully with cheese. I have tried it with a goats cheese flavoured with Italian herbs and it was a creamy dream. It will also work very well with salmon sashimi and delicate seafood such as seared scallops or prawns. Even some smoked duck will bring out amazing things in this Speyside release.

Related Article: Tamnavulin Double Cask Whisky

The Singleton Tailfire Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/11/2015

In Single Malt whisky

A while ago, a friend mentioned that her favourite dram is a Singleton. For some unknown reason, neither John nor me have ever tried whisky from the Dufftown Distillery. So, when Singleton released their new The Singleton Tailfire single malt Scotch whisky expression, it was a great opportunity to try this brand.

The Dufftown distillery is located in the small Speyside town of the same name. The Dufftown distillery was not originally built as a malt whisky distillery. Wine merchant Peter Mackenzie and friends converted it from an old Mill to a Distillery in 1895 /6.

Related Article: Whisky and Gouda Cheese

Today it is owned by Diageo. The majority of the malt whisky produced at the Dufftown Distillery is used for blended whiskies – particularly Bell’s and Johnnie Walker. Singleton Tailfire is one of two NAS single malt Scotch whiskies released in 2015 as part of the Singleton of Dufftown range. The other being Singleton Sunray.

Singleton Tailfire is aged in a combination of European and American oak casks. The names draw inspiration from the brand’s logo of a leaping salmon – Sunray and Tailfire are artificial fly used in salmon fishing.

Other releases in the Singleton range include a Singleton 12 year old as well as a 15 year old single malt whisky.

The Singleton Tailfire Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: It is a dark bronze colour with hints of red glistening in the glass.

NOSE: Sweet and spicy with caramel, candied fruit, cherries and marzipan. There are notes of vanilla and fruity Christmas cake.

PALATE: Without water, the palate is spicy and has a bit of a pepper spice bite. There are hints of chocolate cherries as well. Water smooths out the Singleton Tailfire. It lessens the spicy bite and brings forth notes of vanilla oak and wood. The bold fruitiness promised by the nose has softened. Malt and fruits of the forest notes flirt around the background.

FINISH: Big and bold with lots of spice, wood, cherries and bitter lemon. This is a very drinkable dram.

RATING: VERY GOOD

The Singleton Tailfire whisky does not cause a tailspin, however, it is a good whisky for someone trying out whisky for the first time. Another good point is that it is also affordable.

The Singleton website suggests you pair this Tailfire with a panacotta with red fruits, Brie and dark cocoa chocolate. With all the spicy notes in this whisky, I am guessing it will also pair well with cheese. Something I will test in future.

I have also tried the Singleton 15 year old whisky. See my thoughts on this interesting Dufftown release.

Also Read: Ardbeg Wee Beastie Whisky